Encounters with Alumni from Greater China

Jennifer Ma (Pembroke, 2000, Economics and Management) is the co-founder, Head of Curriculum Development and Instructor at ARCH Learning Centre. Jennifer attended St. Paul’s Co-educational College in Hong Kong and Benenden School in the UK. At Oxford, Jennifer was also the elected President of the then second-largest student-run society, the Guild and graduated with First Class Honours. Throughout her career in investment banking, Jennifer remained active in the field of education. At work, Jennifer took up the role of “Summer Champion” and outside of work, Jennifer is involved in the Benenden School Trust as well as the China Oxford Scholarship Foundation – both organizations serve to recruit and fund able scholars from China and Hong Kong to further their studies in the UK. Since becoming an educator, Jennifer has achieved her Masters in Education at the University of Hong Kong. She is also a member of the committee of the Oxford and Cambridge Society Hong Kong.Describe a typical day for you.As the co-founder of ARCH Academy, my work involves curriculum development, delivering enrichment programs, providing students with consultation sessions and teacher training. I usually get in to ARCH around 9.30am and the first thing I do is reply to enquiries. As we've been invited by schools to deliver talented youth and form-wide programs, I would teach at schools before 4pm, then I would teach at my own center, or spend some time developing our enrichment program curriculums (including our flagship thinking skills program - Socrates program). I also spend a lot of time discussing with our teachers specialized in delivering our debate, mock trial and writing programs to ensure consistency in quality across all our programs. Often, I would ask them to deliver mock lessons so I can provide feedback on teaching pedagogy. From July to December, the peak time for university and school applications, I also take part in one on one consultation sessions with students on statement drafting, interview preparation and specific admission requirements. Besides this, I also need to manage company issues, including marketing, IT and logistics. In 2012, we initiated our non-profit arm, ARCH Community Outreach, which provides educational and internship opportunities to under-resourced students. So, it's usually a very packed day!!What inspired you to change your career? I've always been interested in the field of education but I did start my career off as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch and later at Goldman Sachs. During my 7 years in banking, I was involved with my boarding school's trust fund as well as a few educational non-profit initiatives, including Access and Junior Achievement. I enjoyed teaching but never thought that would be my second career or even a lifelong one! My partner (the other co-founder of ARCH) and I were both involved in firm-wide recruitment. We were chatting over dinner one evening about what we now refer to as the "education gaps". One major gap we identified was the fundamental skill in thinking and communication. A lot of applicants had perfect CVs - top grades from top universities - but when it came to interviews or course work, they were not able to exhibit critical or creative thinking. Communication both verbal and in writing were also often not to par. We thought about delivering programs during weekends at universities but later realized the gap really should be bridged during secondary school years. We had to make a decision in March 2009 whether we wanted to stay in banking or pursue a different career in education. We opted for the latter and ARCH was established!Did your time at Oxford help nurture your interest in education? Definitely - my time before and during Oxford were key sources of inspiration.When I was applying for Oxford, I was a borderline applicant. I am very thankful to my boarding school, Beneden, for all the support and guidance they provided me, otherwise I definitely would not have gotten into Oxford. This is why the second "education gap" we bridge at ARCH is the gap in "preparation". A lot of students are very talented and smart, but due to lack of awareness, they may not have been fully prepared for the top schools. Others may not yet have found the right fit in terms of school or subject choice and therefore could not fully explore the options open to them. My partner and I had collectively been through local school, international school, UK and US boarding schools, Ivy League and Oxbridge education, so we were able to provide parents and students with objective feedback and advice.Oxford years still remain the most inspiring years of my life.Oxford years still remain the most inspiring years of my life. It was a very special experience to be surrounded by professors who have dedicated their lives to the discipline I was studying. The emphasis on the ability to think from different perspectives, to challenge underlying assumptions and the importance to deliver one's own judgment, regardless of right and wrong - these are the core elements that form the backbone of my Socrates Program at ARCH.Some say that social mobility is the greatest challenge of our time. Tell us about the unique way you have found outside the classroom to improve social mobility and how you have used your professional background to help you achieve this?Education is not simply knowledge - it allows one to better understand the world, to perceive ourselves in different ways, and most importantly, to form relationships with others. All these help to increase social mobility, which to me is not just about moving upwards but also about connecting with the rest of the community in general. Of course, those who are under-resourced may not have access to the same level or amount of education. This brings me to the third "education gap" ARCH strives to bridge - which is in "opportunities". When we were teaching at universities in Hong Kong, we realized students who are from more affluent backgrounds could deliver a much more comprehensive CV and were therefore more employable. ARCH Community Outreach was established in 2012, with the aim to provide under-resourced students with educational and career opportunities. With the endorsement of St. James Settlement, our pilot program started with three schools in New Territories.We identified twelve high achieving and under-resourced students and provided them with educational workshops.... we see a lot of transformative cases.Through a rigorous selection process, we identified twelve high achieving and under-resourced students and provided them with educational workshops including thinking skills and university application guidance. In collaboration with our corporate sponsors, including Phoenix, the Hong Kong Sanatorium, Des Veoux Chambers, Goldman Sachs and Barclays, we provided students with two weeks of structured summer internship opportunities. The pilot program went very well and we hope to expand our network to ten to fifteen schools this year!What is the most rewarding part of your work with students? The thank you notes from students and when they come back to visit! One of my students who got accepted into Oxbridge on a scholarship returned to help teach my new students. I recalled thinking everything he was saying sounded extremely similar to what I told him a year or two ago. That was a really rewarding moment as I really saw the "multiplier effect" of education! You may only teach one student but the knowledge and skills you impart will hopefully help many others.We see a lot of transformative cases through our enrichment programs - students flourishing or in some cases, completely changed for the better. We do not engage in any advertising so all our growth, from fourteen students to 500 in two years, is all based on word-of-mouth. The feedback and appreciation from our students and parents really drive us forward.Who inspires you? My parents and my friend Marie So. My father opted to not engage in family business but built his own from scratch. I never realized how difficult it was until I started my own. My mother also inspires me. Since I was young, she would tell me stories about her adventurous youth, travelling through the Middle East and India. Once she was also stuck in a civil war. Together, my parents supported me in my decision to take a conservative risk in building up ARCH.Marie started a social enterprise in Yunan, Ventures in Development. When I was thinking about leaving my secure job in banking for the then unknown path in education, her story of starting an enterprise in a rural part of China was truly inspirational. I thought if Marie could start something from scratch where there isn't even clean water, I should be able to do something in Hong Kong.

What is your favourite place in Oxford?I have many! G&Ds for ice cream, Ben's for choc&chip cookies, Morton's for baguettes, Edamame for Japanese, the kebab van outside Balliol. I can only think of food! Besides that, I think all the architecture is amazing. I still remember seeing Harry Potter being filmed at Christ Church!

And in Hong Kong? My life at the moment basically revolves around ARCH and home. But over weekends, I'd say Sai Kung for seafood and Dragon's Back for the hike and post-hike curry crabs in Shek-O!

The University of Oxford China Office Limited is a branch office of the University of Oxford in Hong Kong, registered with limited liability and having charitable status under Section 88 of the Hong Kong Inland Revenue Ordinance.